Certain players need to be Free Agents

[Deleted]

I've been meaning to post this for sometime but haven't had a chance but here it goes.

Certain players need to be free agents. Is a big part of how this league is setup & run. I'm speaking of Carlos Gonzalez, Puljos, Braun, Verlander, Kershaw and the list goes on BUT it does have an end. We all you like to have these players or at least a CHANCE to own these players. These players who become free agents during the season does most teams no good. ie, up against the cap, can't sign for 5 years, having to release other big name players in order to sign top free agents thus creating a trickle down effect. I think you get the idea. If one of these TOP players gets hurt for the year early in the season, let's face it, your probably going to find a way to carry him because he's a good player and you have him for next year.

Onto what I propose. At the beginning of the season we create a list of the top 50 or 75 or 100 players (or whatever number we agree upon) from Yahoo, ESPN or wherever, that these players in the final year of their contract they can only be signed to a 1year deal. This will ensure that everyone will have the same opptunity to score a big name player helping build their dynasty team. Let keep the free agent season fun as well.

This rule will only apply to players in the final year of their contract, who are on the list.

I hope to receive some good feedback on this, I think it's an important issue. As a team owner in this league, I would hope you take the time to express yourself. I didn't see much feedback on the trade deadline issue and these senecio could effect you in the future.

[Minnesota Twins]

I vote no. I think it is fun and exciting when a curveball comes out. In fact I wish we could bid on players right after we cut them so you could gamble on cutting a guy to resign him to long term deal, but that train has sailed.

[Admin]

you said "in the final year of their contract they can only be signed to a 1year deal." they then become perpetual free agents year after year, signed to 1 yr only deals. am i reading that wrong?
cargo became avail and i paid a pretty steep price for him, 16mil. cant afford it, cap running low? thats the breaks.
anyway there is always a good amount of free agents hitting the market.

[Deleted]

In the final year of contract (the year leading up to free agency) can only be signed for the remaining season. Going into offseason free agent bidding you can sign to however many years up to 5.

[Deleted]

A star player that is released in the final year of his contract can be owned by anyone except for the team that released him. What could be more fair? If you want him bad enough, then put in a blind bid that cannot be beat. If you don't have the cap space, then that is no one's fault but your own - because you know this happens every year. If you want a player bad enough, you can find a way to clear the cap space. And you can do it provisionally, if you win the blind bid then you drop players X,Y, and Z to open up the cap room. The only teams that I see that are at a disadvantage are those that do not want to make changes to their roster because they are in contention. So the teams lower in the standings are able to pick up a quality player. In my mind, that helps with competitive balance. I just don't see how that is a bad thing.

[Deleted]

I would have to agree with Milwaukee here. I know that I was not going to be able to compete in the free agent bidding this years, as Pitts and others have way too much money to outbid me. So, I pick up players throughout the season to help build my team for the future. It has worked so far, the scrubs that people cut because they did not want to wait till they got back on track, I bid on hoping they could bounce back.

But in the same aspect, if a star player is released during the season, then he should become fair game for all to take, even if he was released in the last year of his contract. If you don't want him to be bid on, bench him.

[ex-Pittsburgh Pirates]

i think it sucks that some teams could not bid on carlos gonzalez because he was dropped with four days left in the season. you should be able to plan your free agent strategy throughout the year. if you dont know who is going to be a free agent until the seasoends, it makes all free agent planning random and arbitrary.

[Deleted]

Milwaukee, I believe you could be wrong. You have to have the money in order to bid. You can not place a bid, win the bid and then release players to find the money.

I'll wait for the admin to advise.

Also, teams that could be at an advantage are team that are in for winning a championship.

How is it your fault to be up against the cap?? It's well within the rules. Am I supposed to sit back and wait for a star player to be released??

[Deleted]

I think if someone gets dropped after a certain date, their contract should remain the same and reset in the offseason. You could still pick them up at the old contract, but that avoids the last minute drop situation.

[Deleted]

Philly:
You can make a conditional bid during the regular season. Ex."If my bidfor player A is successful, then release player Z to clear cap space and a roster spot." You do not have to have cap space or roster spot prior to placing a bid, but you as part of the bid you have to say who you are dropping to remain under the cap or stay within the active roster limit.
As for being close to the cap - that was your decision. So when a star player becomes available as a free agent during the year, you have no one blame but yourself if you can't bid. It is not unfair - you made your decisions on how to use your cap money and the other owners have made their decisions. To me it's part of what makes this league great, each of us is responsible for putting together our roster and there are many ways of acquiring players. Manipulating the salary cap is an important part of succeeding in this league, but it isn't the only way to acquire stars. There are many different ways to use the cap money to put together a winning team. I just don't see why we need a new rule because some owners (including me) were able to pick up a few star players through free agency because we were able to clear cap room and you decided not to clear cap room. You did what you decided was best for your team, and I did what I thought was best for my team. We both operated within the rules - I just had my team in a position that had more cap flexibility than yours.

[Deleted]

If any player is dropped during the season, he should only be signed for the remainder of the season. This will put more players in the draft and prevent hoarding/stashing of players. Maybe in season FAs should only be signed for the rest of the year.

[Deleted]

I do think if a player is dropped, he should be allowed to be signed by any other team for up to 5 yrs. All the other teams have the ability to sign the player long term. If they do not have the money, then that is only that teams fault. If the team cutting the player does not want him to become fair game for the other teams, then he should not cut him.

[Deleted]

Milwaukee:

Thanks for the tip on the conditional bid, I was not aware we were able to do that. I was under the impression we HAD to have the cap room, like in free agency to bid.

KC- I have to disagree with you that all in season FA bids can only be signed to 1 year. I'm always shopping for the next 5 year STUD. Even tho they are hard to find, you can still find a very sevicable players Jose Altuve, Josh Reddick, Adam Dunn, RA Dickey and others who can be signed cheap and help a dynasty team. That's what shopping at the end of the season will get you.

Milwaukee:

I still have to disagree with you that you had your team in a position that had more cap flexibility than mine. I could have cut Jon Lester & Brandon Phillips and bid on Carlos Gonzalez. That would have put me way under the cap. What I don't like about doing that, is now next FA bid period, 2 more players, will be bid on and Phillips is still a top 2B, he should be a off season free agent.

Really, what i'm proposing comes down to a handful of players. I'm just saying the best players in baseball test the open market and not by a silent bid. We should too.

It's the same rules for all of us either way. We all try and find a loop holes to gain an advantage. I think what I proposed is a great way to help build a future team. If you want someone, you can get him, if you want to drive up the price, you can.

[Deleted]

BUMP- I still think this is important and should be addressed.

[Minnesota Twins]

Oct 9, 2012 20:26:04 GMT -5 @philadelphia said:

I could have cut Jon Lester & Brandon Phillips and bid on Carlos Gonzalez. That would have put me way under the cap. What I don't like about doing that, is now next FA bid period, 2 more players, will be bid on.

Sounds awesome!